Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Tor Books (2012), Edition: Second, 672 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: The Wheel of Time is now an original series on Prime Video, starring Rosamund Pike as Moiraine! In The Great Hunt, the second novel in Robert Jordan's #1 New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time®, Rand al'Thor and his companions set out to retrieve a powerful magical artifact from The Dark One's Shadowspawn. For centuries, gleemen have told the tales of The Great Hunt of the Horn. So many tales about each of the Hunters, and so many Hunters to tell of... Now the Horn itself is found: the Horn of Valere long thought only legend, the Horn which will raise the dead heroes of the ages. And it is stolen. In pursuit of the thieves, Rand al'Thor is determined to keep the Horn out of the grasp of The Dark One. But he has also learned that he is The Dragon Reborn�??the Champion of Light destined to stand against the Shadow time and again. It is a duty and a destiny that requires Rand to uncover and master magical capabilities he never imagined he possessed. Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time® has captivated millions of readers around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters. The last six books in series were all instant #1 New York Times bestsellers, and The Eye of the World was named one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read. The Wheel of Time® New Spring: The Novel #1 The Eye of the World #2 The Great Hunt #3 The Dragon Reborn #4 The Shadow Rising #5 The Fires of Heaven #6 Lord of Chaos #7 A Crown of Swords #8 The Path of Daggers #9 Winter's Heart #10 Crossroads of Twilight #11 Knife of Dreams By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson #12 The Gathering Storm #13 Towers of Midnight #14 A Memory of Light By Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time By Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons The Wheel of Time Companion By Robert Jordan and Amy Romanczuk Patterns of the Wheel: Coloring Art Based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) appl… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member mattries37315
Where do I begin in reviewing Robert Jordan's The Great Hunt? Starting almost on the heels of The Eye of the World, the action begins almost immediately for Rand Al'Thor as he wants to leave his friends for there own safty because of his ability to channel, only for events to change his plans.
As the second book of The Wheel of Time series, The Great Hunt not only is an excellent book by itself but also adds to the story arc that makes you want to read the next book in the series right away.
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Throughout the book Rand is in a continual struggle to define himself while trying to save the same friends he wants to leave behind. While Rand continues to be the primary protagonist/point-of-view character, others come more into shape such as Perrin, Egwene, a commander of the Whitecloaks, Min, and the evil Padan Fain that help better bring Jordan's world into shape.As the second book of The Wheel of Time series, The Great Hunt not only is an excellent book by itself but also adds to the story arc that makes you want to read the next book in the series right away.
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LibraryThing member iansales
I’ve been told the Wheel of Time was originally pitched as a trilogy but then cut down to a single novel, but proved so successful the trilogy was reinstated, before mutating into the bloated fourteen-volume beast it eventually became. Certainly the pacing in The Eye of the World is so bad it’s
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entirely plausible its story was intended to stretch over several books. You have ten percent introduction to the world and characters, then 80% travelogue, and everything gets wrapped up in the last ten percent. The Great Hunt has slightly better pacing, and a great deal more happens in it, but there’s still a lot of travelogue. And padding. Reams and reams of padding. There’s even three or four pages where Rand experiences the same thing over and over again. It makes for a dull read. The one thing I’m noticing about these books during my rereads – other than the derision of friends when I tell them I’m rereading the Wheel of Time – is that the world-building is a strange mix of identikit sword-and-sorcery and weird but interesting original touches. It also feels strangely “lived-in”, with its various parts slotting together in a way that doesn’t feel entirely the result of authorial fiat. Having said that… the characters are still as annoying as sh*t. Rand al’Thor reads like a thirteen year old and his friends are no better. An important minor character turns out to be a Darkfriend (ie, agents of the the Dark Lord) but it comes totally out of left-field. The actual Darkfriend the protagonists spend the entire book chasing is far too pantomime. And another character do be talking like this all the time and it do be f*ck*ng irritating. The Great Hunt is a great improvement on The Eye of the World, but that’s not exactly a high bar to clear. There are some enjoyable set-pieces and some good hooks set for later in the series. But the praise this series received back in the 1990s still astonishes me. It’s a poor piece of work – and that in genre not known for the high quality of its prose or plotting. Show Less
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
Full disclosure - I don't know why I am reading any more books from this series. I have a problem with repetition and in the preface Jordan writes the phrase, "the man who called himself Bors" no less than 23 times. I get it. He wants you to know the guy's name isn't really Bors. As a result of the
And another thing! Can I just say how annoyed I am by the sheer number of groups, nations, societies and the like? Good grief! You have aielmen, arad doman, caemyl, cairhien, children of the light, darkfriends, dai shan, dreadlords, far dareis mai, eyeless, forsaken, fades, gaiden, goaban, hardan, hundred companions, lurks, manetheren, marath'damane, mydraal, halfmen, questioners, shadowmen, sea folk, taraboners, tinkers, tree killers, trollocs, tuatha'an, warders, watchers over the waves, white cloaks, women's circle, and wisdom. Let's not forget about the aes sedai who can be red, brown or blue, or the ajah who can be blue, red, white, green, brown, yellow or gray (where's the purple, orange or pink?).
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preface, I expected nothing less in the rest of the book. There is a lot of repetition between the first and second book to "catch you up" if you didn't read the first one. However, truth be told, very little changes in the next installment of the Wheel of Time series. Everything is still over-the-top dramatic ("eyes more dead than death" p xiv). Rand al'Thor is still the reluctant hero. Trollocs are still terrible. Egwene is still conflicted and childlike. They still have this weird romance thing lingering. Probably the more interesting thing about them at this point is that they go on different journeys. Still, it wasn't enough to keep me glued to the page.And another thing! Can I just say how annoyed I am by the sheer number of groups, nations, societies and the like? Good grief! You have aielmen, arad doman, caemyl, cairhien, children of the light, darkfriends, dai shan, dreadlords, far dareis mai, eyeless, forsaken, fades, gaiden, goaban, hardan, hundred companions, lurks, manetheren, marath'damane, mydraal, halfmen, questioners, shadowmen, sea folk, taraboners, tinkers, tree killers, trollocs, tuatha'an, warders, watchers over the waves, white cloaks, women's circle, and wisdom. Let's not forget about the aes sedai who can be red, brown or blue, or the ajah who can be blue, red, white, green, brown, yellow or gray (where's the purple, orange or pink?).
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LibraryThing member rbtwinky
This was my third time reading this book, and by far the most enjoyable. I really took my time reading this book, often re-reading sections to be sure I understood them. The effort was well worth it. It was fun knowing where the characters were headed, and knowing more than they do about their
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situation in general, but not really remembering how things happen. Show Less
LibraryThing member DWWilkin
In my continuing reread before the next release of book 12, I have new thoughts and opinions about The Great Hunt. Still this series remains something that if I have to take one thing with me to that dessert island, then this would be the series. But now I can see where in the earlier material,
It has always been clear, since I have been with the series from its first publication, that Jordan was amazed by his success with it and began to record more and more to keep the coffers filled. Anything anyone else says is just wrong, and as Jordan would say RAFO. That is probably one of the biggest disservices he did to those who read him, Read and Find Out.
Because it is clear that he wrote and as all writers tackling something that grows after you wrote the earlier work, he didn't have it all mapped out. The Great Hunt is clearly the second book of the trilogy.
Previously I said that The Eye of the World could have stood on its own, with just another few pages added to it. Clearly a book that could have wrapped up the battle between good and evil in one novel.
So in trilogy format we have book 1, our hero finds out that he is the hero and of course does not want to be it. Here in the second book, he finally gets training to confront evil and stands forth to say he will. His buddies have grown strong enough and the dead heroes of legend stand ready to help out in book three.
We even have found an entire world changing army, or two, that can be the enemy. But as they are defeated here at the end of book 2, then we just need to concentrate on the evil we discussed in book 1, Trollocs and Fades and Forsaken.
Somewhere after this is published the 'Phenomena' factor kicks in big time and there will be more then 3 books. Money to be made. No longer publish the books in trade paperback, after all we are giving up real dollars by doing that. No the Mercenary of Robert Jordan emerges and has possibly always been there.
But the book and story are good. Aside from a few quibbles, that dealing mostly with Jordan allowing the story to grow bigger that he could not keep track of everything he did, such as Portal Stones. We have the Ways to travel, but we decide to add another type of travel that we will soon forget about and never use again. Or Aiel at a Steadding but lets just move right through that, or how stupid the Children of the Light are because while the whole world hears about Seachan, they want to think of them as darkfriends, and even let that color the next book.
So there is minor suspension of disbelief as Jordan starts transforming to a much bigger work. But for all that we get one of the meatist series we have ever had. I have reread the series now more than half a dozen times and expect will do so as many again once it is complete. Characters continue to grow, and more are added, but unlike George RR Martin where there are so many cross purposes making it more complex then the real world of 2009, Jordan is able to focus on Good vs. Evil with some shading around the edges. Well worth any fantasy fans time but not as a stand alone book, only really as part of the series.
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Jordan has switched from what we have in the later material.It has always been clear, since I have been with the series from its first publication, that Jordan was amazed by his success with it and began to record more and more to keep the coffers filled. Anything anyone else says is just wrong, and as Jordan would say RAFO. That is probably one of the biggest disservices he did to those who read him, Read and Find Out.
Because it is clear that he wrote and as all writers tackling something that grows after you wrote the earlier work, he didn't have it all mapped out. The Great Hunt is clearly the second book of the trilogy.
Previously I said that The Eye of the World could have stood on its own, with just another few pages added to it. Clearly a book that could have wrapped up the battle between good and evil in one novel.
So in trilogy format we have book 1, our hero finds out that he is the hero and of course does not want to be it. Here in the second book, he finally gets training to confront evil and stands forth to say he will. His buddies have grown strong enough and the dead heroes of legend stand ready to help out in book three.
We even have found an entire world changing army, or two, that can be the enemy. But as they are defeated here at the end of book 2, then we just need to concentrate on the evil we discussed in book 1, Trollocs and Fades and Forsaken.
Somewhere after this is published the 'Phenomena' factor kicks in big time and there will be more then 3 books. Money to be made. No longer publish the books in trade paperback, after all we are giving up real dollars by doing that. No the Mercenary of Robert Jordan emerges and has possibly always been there.
But the book and story are good. Aside from a few quibbles, that dealing mostly with Jordan allowing the story to grow bigger that he could not keep track of everything he did, such as Portal Stones. We have the Ways to travel, but we decide to add another type of travel that we will soon forget about and never use again. Or Aiel at a Steadding but lets just move right through that, or how stupid the Children of the Light are because while the whole world hears about Seachan, they want to think of them as darkfriends, and even let that color the next book.
So there is minor suspension of disbelief as Jordan starts transforming to a much bigger work. But for all that we get one of the meatist series we have ever had. I have reread the series now more than half a dozen times and expect will do so as many again once it is complete. Characters continue to grow, and more are added, but unlike George RR Martin where there are so many cross purposes making it more complex then the real world of 2009, Jordan is able to focus on Good vs. Evil with some shading around the edges. Well worth any fantasy fans time but not as a stand alone book, only really as part of the series.
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LibraryThing member molliewatts
The struggle between Light and Darkness is escalating, gaining powerful momentum in this second book of the Wheel of Time series. The young Emond's Fielders continue their strange journey through legend. False Dragons are cropping up everywhere, but only a few know that Rand al'Thor is the true
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Dragon Reborn - an unnerving title and burden to carry, to say the least. Half the world will worship him, the rest will try to kill him. This book sees Egwene and Nynaeve, along with Elayne, beginning their Aes Sedai training in Tar Valon, while the boys Mat, Perrin, and Rand travel the land. The Great Hunt for the Horn of Valere has been declared, but only a handful of people know it is already found. Rand is struggling with his newfound powers, afraid he is going to suddenly erupt and hurt (or kill) those closest to him. Mat and Perrin struggle with their own destinies - like Rand, they are ta'veren and destined for greatness. Show Less
LibraryThing member FieryNight
So intriguing a series that I'm still reading after 8 books.
CAN I MARRY RAND??
CAN I MARRY RAND??
LibraryThing member readafew
I originally read this book back in the early 90's and recently listened to it on CD. I still think it is a great Epic though without an end to the series it will diminish greatly. All three boys are still showing the Two Rivers subbornness. Listening to the books on tape I found it irritating how
This is a series which I'm coming to believe needs to be read at least twice.
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often everyone exclaims things like "LIGHT", or "Blood and ashes" etc. Jordan started a lot of threads in these early works that I never thought of as threads until much later in the series.This is a series which I'm coming to believe needs to be read at least twice.
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LibraryThing member capetowncanada
I thought this second book was even better then the first. You are introduced to even more interesting allies and enemies with Rand, Loial, Egwene, and Nynaeve returning with big parts in the story but with Matt, Moiraine, Lan and Perrin taking somewhat of a back seat. There are a lot of sub-plots
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going on throughout that all come together in a great climax. Show Less
LibraryThing member glanecia
I LOVE ROBERT JORDAN & THE WHEEL OF TIME SERIES!! It's been a few years since I've read this book, so I can't give it an honest critique -- but I do know I was completely hooked on the series until Winter's Heart. I do intend to finish the series. I've recently re-read Eye of the World, so this one
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will be next. I'll add more to this review when I've re-read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member opinion8dsngr
Aw great, now I'm addicted to the series. This book is just as strong as the first, developing more on the female rather than the male characters of the series and introducing a several new concepts, peoples, and subplots to the whole Wheel of Time universe. Go get it, and get hooked.
LibraryThing member DaddyPupcake
This book is much better than Eye of the World. It has more action and builds the characters even more. Especially the female characters. Jordan has a real gift, to be able to show us this world with all these characters. Making them so human with their flaws. I found this to be a great book and so
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far as I've read, a great epic story. Show Less
LibraryThing member jpsnow
One of the faster-paced and more engaging books in the series.
LibraryThing member JechtShot
The second book in the Wheel of Time takes a while to get going. I find it analogous to "The Two Towers", a lot of "walking" before you get to the point. Fast forward to the end of the book and you find yourself cheering for The Dragon. In short, if you find yourself halfway through the book,
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wondering if you should continue, go for it. On to book 3. Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
This is only the second book of the mega-epic Wheel of Time series. It is really in this book that you get the sense that there is a very long, complex plot building, with a number of critical subplots. Matt, Rand, Perrin, Egwene and Nynaeve are obviously not just villagers from the countryside,
Jordan does a masterful job of mingling multiple threads. There are so many allies, opponents and evil villains that it successfully fills even this 700 page novel, without a lot of wasted time. You get the sense that what is going on is truly serious, and there's a lot more to come.
If you like complicated, epic fantasy with a serious, but not overly dark side, you'll enjoy this book. That's not to say that the evil in this book isn't real, more that Jordan doesn't revel or dwell on it in gory detail.
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but with Rand, are destined for great things. Jordan does a masterful job of mingling multiple threads. There are so many allies, opponents and evil villains that it successfully fills even this 700 page novel, without a lot of wasted time. You get the sense that what is going on is truly serious, and there's a lot more to come.
If you like complicated, epic fantasy with a serious, but not overly dark side, you'll enjoy this book. That's not to say that the evil in this book isn't real, more that Jordan doesn't revel or dwell on it in gory detail.
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LibraryThing member wispywillow
RAND: His stubbornness is a bit irritating at times, but considering he was raised among people known for their stubborn nature and he's trying to deny something that could be absolutely tragic to his life, I can't say I blame him for being in denial and that I wouldn't be just as stubborn as he
MAT: He can be such an ass sometimes! His mischievous nature was cute when he was in Two Rivers, but he's downright heartless with some of the things he says to Rand. Perhaps he can be forgiven of much of that because of his own dilemma with the cursed dagger that is slowly killing him. But still! *makes throttling motion*
PERRIN: Ah, sweet Perrin! So far, he is my favorite of the 3 boys. I love his quiet, gentle nature. And even though he, like the other boys, has personal issues to face/deal with/overcome, he bears his burden with a quiet dignity that belies his youth.
THE AMYRLIN SEAT: I was so tickled to learn who this is! If you've read A New Spring--which I suggest you do if you haven't--you'll know her =)
MOIRAINE SEDAI: Because I'm getting to know her, she has lost some of the enigmatic quality she had when I first met her in The Eye of the World. (Again, I recommend A New Spring for her back-story.) She's not as present in this novel as she was earlier.
NYNAEVE: I love this girl! This fire-cracker is really growing on me. I found her a bit irritating at the beginning of the series, but she really develops in this book. Her short fuse really comes in handy, too. *pokes Lan*
EGWENE: Such a sweet girl... and normally sweet characters annoy me, but she's not overly sweet. She's pretty much the same as she was in the first novel, but she does become a Novice. And something happens to her that really tests her strength and brings a lot of anger out of her--for good reason! I felt so badly for her. I'm very curious to see where her story goes.
PADAN FAIN: Creepy McCreeperson.
LAN: Oo, is that a chink I see in his armor? *poke poke*
LOIAL: Very similar to how he was in the first book, so not a lot of development... but he is a long-lived creature so I suppose we can't expect drastic changes occuring too quickly. He is an interesting character and I like him. For some reason I picture him as a minotaur, though I know that's wrong. He'd make a good minotaur, though!
HURIN: He plays a small role in the book as The Sniffer. He, Rand, and Loial do some interesting travelling, and we get to see Hurin act a bit more as an individual when he's not with the other soldiers. For some reason I find him very adorable, thus he earned a blurb here despite his small role ^_^
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is. He's also done a lot of growing up since he left the Two Rivers, though sadly such maturing involves jading.MAT: He can be such an ass sometimes! His mischievous nature was cute when he was in Two Rivers, but he's downright heartless with some of the things he says to Rand. Perhaps he can be forgiven of much of that because of his own dilemma with the cursed dagger that is slowly killing him. But still! *makes throttling motion*
PERRIN: Ah, sweet Perrin! So far, he is my favorite of the 3 boys. I love his quiet, gentle nature. And even though he, like the other boys, has personal issues to face/deal with/overcome, he bears his burden with a quiet dignity that belies his youth.
THE AMYRLIN SEAT: I was so tickled to learn who this is! If you've read A New Spring--which I suggest you do if you haven't--you'll know her =)
MOIRAINE SEDAI: Because I'm getting to know her, she has lost some of the enigmatic quality she had when I first met her in The Eye of the World. (Again, I recommend A New Spring for her back-story.) She's not as present in this novel as she was earlier.
NYNAEVE: I love this girl! This fire-cracker is really growing on me. I found her a bit irritating at the beginning of the series, but she really develops in this book. Her short fuse really comes in handy, too. *pokes Lan*
EGWENE: Such a sweet girl... and normally sweet characters annoy me, but she's not overly sweet. She's pretty much the same as she was in the first novel, but she does become a Novice. And something happens to her that really tests her strength and brings a lot of anger out of her--for good reason! I felt so badly for her. I'm very curious to see where her story goes.
PADAN FAIN: Creepy McCreeperson.
LAN: Oo, is that a chink I see in his armor? *poke poke*
LOIAL: Very similar to how he was in the first book, so not a lot of development... but he is a long-lived creature so I suppose we can't expect drastic changes occuring too quickly. He is an interesting character and I like him. For some reason I picture him as a minotaur, though I know that's wrong. He'd make a good minotaur, though!
HURIN: He plays a small role in the book as The Sniffer. He, Rand, and Loial do some interesting travelling, and we get to see Hurin act a bit more as an individual when he's not with the other soldiers. For some reason I find him very adorable, thus he earned a blurb here despite his small role ^_^
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LibraryThing member slaveofOne
This book is one reason why I love the Wheel of Time!
LibraryThing member towo
The continuation of the epic started in "The Eye of the World", tho book rejoins the protagonists in their continuing quest against their own fears and the Dark One.
Solid sequel, again well-written and captivating; not much to say.
Solid sequel, again well-written and captivating; not much to say.
LibraryThing member DWWilkin
In my continuing reread before the next release of book 12, I have new thoughts and opinions about The Great Hunt. Still this series remains something that if I have to take one thing with me to that dessert island, then this would be the series. But now I can see where in the earlier material,
It has always been clear, since I have been with the series from its first publication, that Jordan was amazed by his success with it and began to record more and more to keep the coffers filled. Anything anyone else says is just wrong, and as Jordan would say RAFO. That is probably one of the biggest disservices he did to those who read him, Read and Find Out.
Because it is clear that he wrote and as all writers tackling something that grows after you wrote the earlier work, he didn't have it all mapped out. The Great Hunt is clearly the second book of the trilogy.
Previously I said that The Eye of the World could have stood on its own, with just another few pages added to it. Clearly a book that could have wrapped up the battle between good and evil in one novel.
So in trilogy format we have book 1, our hero finds out that he is the hero and of course does not want to be it. Here in the second book, he finally gets training to confront evil and stands forth to say he will. His buddies have grown strong enough and the dead heroes of legend stand ready to help out in book three.
We even have found an entire world changing army, or two, that can be the enemy. But as they are defeated here at the end of book 2, then we just need to concentrate on the evil we discussed in book 1, Trollocs and Fades and Forsaken.
Somewhere after this is published the 'Phenomena' factor kicks in big time and there will be more then 3 books. Money to be made. No longer publish the books in trade paperback, after all we are giving up real dollars by doing that. No the Mercenary of Robert Jordan emerges and has possibly always been there.
But the book and story are good. Aside from a few quibbles, that dealing mostly with Jordan allowing the story to grow bigger that he could not keep track of everything he did, such as Portal Stones. We have the Ways to travel, but we decide to add another type of travel that we will soon forget about and never use again. Or Aiel at a Steadding but lets just move right through that, or how stupid the Children of the Light are because while the whole world hears about Seachan, they want to think of them as darkfriends, and even let that color the next book.
So there is minor suspension of disbelief as Jordan starts transforming to a much bigger work. But for all that we get one of the meatist series we have ever had. I have reread the series now more than half a dozen times and expect will do so as many again once it is complete. Characters continue to grow, and more are added, but unlike George RR Martin where there are so many cross purposes making it more complex then the real world of 2009, Jordan is able to focus on Good vs. Evil with some shading around the edges. Well worth any fantasy fans time but not as a stand alone book, only really as part of the series.
Show More
Jordan has switched from what we have in the later material.It has always been clear, since I have been with the series from its first publication, that Jordan was amazed by his success with it and began to record more and more to keep the coffers filled. Anything anyone else says is just wrong, and as Jordan would say RAFO. That is probably one of the biggest disservices he did to those who read him, Read and Find Out.
Because it is clear that he wrote and as all writers tackling something that grows after you wrote the earlier work, he didn't have it all mapped out. The Great Hunt is clearly the second book of the trilogy.
Previously I said that The Eye of the World could have stood on its own, with just another few pages added to it. Clearly a book that could have wrapped up the battle between good and evil in one novel.
So in trilogy format we have book 1, our hero finds out that he is the hero and of course does not want to be it. Here in the second book, he finally gets training to confront evil and stands forth to say he will. His buddies have grown strong enough and the dead heroes of legend stand ready to help out in book three.
We even have found an entire world changing army, or two, that can be the enemy. But as they are defeated here at the end of book 2, then we just need to concentrate on the evil we discussed in book 1, Trollocs and Fades and Forsaken.
Somewhere after this is published the 'Phenomena' factor kicks in big time and there will be more then 3 books. Money to be made. No longer publish the books in trade paperback, after all we are giving up real dollars by doing that. No the Mercenary of Robert Jordan emerges and has possibly always been there.
But the book and story are good. Aside from a few quibbles, that dealing mostly with Jordan allowing the story to grow bigger that he could not keep track of everything he did, such as Portal Stones. We have the Ways to travel, but we decide to add another type of travel that we will soon forget about and never use again. Or Aiel at a Steadding but lets just move right through that, or how stupid the Children of the Light are because while the whole world hears about Seachan, they want to think of them as darkfriends, and even let that color the next book.
So there is minor suspension of disbelief as Jordan starts transforming to a much bigger work. But for all that we get one of the meatist series we have ever had. I have reread the series now more than half a dozen times and expect will do so as many again once it is complete. Characters continue to grow, and more are added, but unlike George RR Martin where there are so many cross purposes making it more complex then the real world of 2009, Jordan is able to focus on Good vs. Evil with some shading around the edges. Well worth any fantasy fans time but not as a stand alone book, only really as part of the series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kayceel
In this second book of the Wheel of Time series, Rand al'Thor and his friends are in Shienar at Fort Fal Dara, recovering from a battle with several of the Forsaken - channelers of the One Power from the Age of Legends who turned from the Light and joined with the Dark One in the hopes of earning
Rand is slowly coming to realize that he may have a destiny far beyond becoming a shepherd like his father, and his friends from the same small village in the Two Rivers are also realizing their paths have changed. Egwene and Nynaeve are headed to the White Tower to begin their training in the One Power, Mat is in dire need of being reunited with a dagger, tainted with an evil that has so poisoned him that he will die if parted from it before being healed at the White Tower, and Perrin is fighting his becoming a "wolf brother" - a human who can communicate with wolves.
When the Horn of Valere - prophesied as necessary at the Last Battle in order to aid the Dragon Reborn in defeating the Dark One - is stolen from Fal Dara keep by Trollocs and Darkfriends, Rand and his companions must follow to retrieve it before it is used by the Darkfriends. All paths seem to lead to Toman Head, though, where a mysterious invading army has come ashore...
Thrilling and epic - I love this series, and feel like I've come to know the characters practically like family. My daughter and I listen to this in the car, and she's become as captivated as I. The characters must make difficult decisions, especially Rand, and it's wonderful to see the good guys grappling with moral dilemmas (and choosing the right paths). The characters care about each other, and those from the Two Rivers time and again reject "glory" to do the right thing, despite the seductiveness of that glory...
The readers are wonderful, and thought it's sometimes a bit of a jolt to go from a male narrator to the female (she narrates all the chapters from the female characters' points of view, which aren't as often as the male, unfortunately :}), and the two narrators don't always use the pronunciations, we still very much enjoy the telling.
Also, my daughter just recently told me she's been playing "Wheel of Time" at school recess, and she almost always plays "Rand". I love that she wants to be the hero, whether the hero is male or female!
Highly recommended.
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power and glory above all others. Trapped at the sealing the Dark One's prison just before the breaking of the world, the Forsaken are fighting free, as the seals holding the Dark One are weakening as the Last Battle approaches.Rand is slowly coming to realize that he may have a destiny far beyond becoming a shepherd like his father, and his friends from the same small village in the Two Rivers are also realizing their paths have changed. Egwene and Nynaeve are headed to the White Tower to begin their training in the One Power, Mat is in dire need of being reunited with a dagger, tainted with an evil that has so poisoned him that he will die if parted from it before being healed at the White Tower, and Perrin is fighting his becoming a "wolf brother" - a human who can communicate with wolves.
When the Horn of Valere - prophesied as necessary at the Last Battle in order to aid the Dragon Reborn in defeating the Dark One - is stolen from Fal Dara keep by Trollocs and Darkfriends, Rand and his companions must follow to retrieve it before it is used by the Darkfriends. All paths seem to lead to Toman Head, though, where a mysterious invading army has come ashore...
Thrilling and epic - I love this series, and feel like I've come to know the characters practically like family. My daughter and I listen to this in the car, and she's become as captivated as I. The characters must make difficult decisions, especially Rand, and it's wonderful to see the good guys grappling with moral dilemmas (and choosing the right paths). The characters care about each other, and those from the Two Rivers time and again reject "glory" to do the right thing, despite the seductiveness of that glory...
The readers are wonderful, and thought it's sometimes a bit of a jolt to go from a male narrator to the female (she narrates all the chapters from the female characters' points of view, which aren't as often as the male, unfortunately :}), and the two narrators don't always use the pronunciations, we still very much enjoy the telling.
Also, my daughter just recently told me she's been playing "Wheel of Time" at school recess, and she almost always plays "Rand". I love that she wants to be the hero, whether the hero is male or female!
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Radaghast
The second installment in the Wheel of Time series has all the power of the first.
LibraryThing member dk_phoenix
The second book in the Wheel of Time series continues where the first one left off... the plots develop further, new themes are explored, and we see some character growth in many of the main characters. Complaints of Jordan "borrowing" too much from Tolkien can be left at the first page here--the
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story definitely starts to come into its own, and diverges in an original way. Show Less
LibraryThing member thelittlereader
honestly, this book had me so frustrated because i was alternatingly riveted and bored stiff with different parts of the book. the first several hundred pages dragged on and felt overly lengthy, whereas the last 200 pages flew by and, thankfully, made me glad that i had stuck with it. if the book
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had been at its best throughout, i surely would have given this a rating of 4.5 or 5, but the lulls really dragged me down.in the first book, Eye of the World, Jordan introduced to us his massive world of characters and lands, our foundation. now, in The Great Hunt, we naturally expect to build upon that. and we do, but not as much as i’d have liked. the story centers around the epic hunt for the horn, but surprisingly, the horn is in hand at the beginning of the book. it is only when it is stolen that the real hunt begins. in addition to the hunt, we follow Egwene and Nynaeve, the Two Rivers women, to Tar Valon to begin their training as Aes Sedai. as was the case in EotW, the women are such strong characters that it is difficult not to appreciate them. " There is an old saying here in the Borderlands: ‘Better to have one woman on your side than ten men.’"the character development continued to be good, but seemed unbalanced, weighing most heavily on Rand, and at times Egwene and Nynaeve, but there was much to be appreciated there, particularly with the women. the training in Tar Valon, their friendships with Min and Elayne and in the end, their hardships were by far my favorite scenes in the book. in addition to the continued development, there were some great new characters that were introduced, but since i could spend days writing about each of them, i’ll skip that and just say that jordan is a master of characterization.however, i was irritated that there wasn’t much improvement in the maturity of the boys, “the Blacksmith, the Swordsman and the Trickster”. i had really expected to see some standout development there, but we still have plenty of time for that (10 books to be exact), i suppose. i’m afraid that if it continues much longer, though, that i’ll hate them by the time this is all over. although i loved Perrin in the first book, his character was stuck wallowing over his misfortunes and seemed nearly unimportant here. and Rand and Mat bickering throughout didn’t help either. the best part of following the boys was the alternate worlds that jordan created, with the Ways and the portal stones – bringing a great sci-fi/quantum physics feel to the books.** POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT **the primary underlying theme throughout all of the travels and character development was the recognition that Rand is, in fact, the Dragon Reborn (as the title of Book 3 suggests). his reluctance to admit to his destiny almost proved that he was the only one who could fulfill the role. everyone that he met acknowledged that he was ta’veren, along with the other boys, and although i understood his hesitation, i wanted to shake him and hurry him along to become who he was destined to be. however, i did appreciate Rand’s honest vulnerability regarding his power, which he was slowly coming to terms with throughout their travels. " He wanted to save Mat and stop Fain, but he did not want to touch saidin. He was afraid to channel, and he hungered for it like a starving man for food."** END SPOILER ALERT **all in all, i enjoyed the book and will definitely be continuing on in the series. however, i really hope that Jordan is able to focus the writing a little more and provide some consistency in his brilliance. there is no denying that he writes well and that when it is good, it is great. i hope that the boys really develop into noble men, rather than the annoying boy heroes that they are. and, i can’t wait to see what is in store for the women! Show Less
LibraryThing member AdamBourke
I was pleasantly surprised to find that in this second book of the series, the maps that seem to adorn most fantasy books were before the prologue. Anyone who has read my review of the first book, "The Eye of the World", will know that I found it being the other way round rather offputting. It
The transitions between characters are smooth, and there are many more sub-plots than in the original, most of which tie together nicely in the last few chapters. There are less similarities to other famous works here, perhaps as Jordan seems to become more comfortable with his own style. Most importantly though, to me at least, the story starts a lot faster, opening with a sword fighting lesson and moving on to a raid of the town.
The prologue here seems to get in the way, since it is seemingly not very important. It refers to the whitecloak subplot, yet this is a very vague sub-plot, and rather hurridly ended. Despite being minor in compariosn to the rest of the story, it is ended quite badly, and leaves a lot of questions as to what exactly was going on.
However, as previously, it was brilliantly written and I will most definitely be following the series to it's conclusion (The last book has just been published).
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feels like a much more natural order here. In fact, the majority of the problems I had with the previous book have simply disappeared.The transitions between characters are smooth, and there are many more sub-plots than in the original, most of which tie together nicely in the last few chapters. There are less similarities to other famous works here, perhaps as Jordan seems to become more comfortable with his own style. Most importantly though, to me at least, the story starts a lot faster, opening with a sword fighting lesson and moving on to a raid of the town.
The prologue here seems to get in the way, since it is seemingly not very important. It refers to the whitecloak subplot, yet this is a very vague sub-plot, and rather hurridly ended. Despite being minor in compariosn to the rest of the story, it is ended quite badly, and leaves a lot of questions as to what exactly was going on.
However, as previously, it was brilliantly written and I will most definitely be following the series to it's conclusion (The last book has just been published).
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LibraryThing member roseysweetpea
The second book in Jordan's famous series continues Rand and his friend's stories, but particularly Rand because of the role he will play. It is a book of resignation as Rand and the others finally accept who the are and how they will impact the future. A stepping stone to the other books, it sets
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the stage for book 3. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1990-11-15 (Tor Books)
Physical description
672 p.; 9.15 inches
ISBN
0765334348 / 9780765334343